This is the 5th death in a Nationals during the 50 year span of these competitions. So that means in 10% of the Nationals, somebody dies.
No clichés here, Gene was truly a great person and a great diver and will be greatly missed by many, many people.
During the weigh-in (after the tragedy had occurred) I was talking with another awesome Hawaiian diver who has young children such as myself and Gene do. And I was telling him that I had no intention of ever allowing my child to participate in such a dangerous sport. His response to me was, "the sea gives us life but sometimes it also takes it away". I took this to mean that his children will be part of the sea if they so choose and that whatever happens to them is just what will happen. But no matter what happens they will have had a better life by living as part of mother ocean than they would by not. This is the same sentiment that was passed along to us at the banquet as having come from Gene’s family and it helped to make me feel a little better about the whole thing.
Scott
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